Linn-Mar High School - Marion, Iowa

Matt Casebolt has resigned as an assistant football coach at Linn-Mar High School for personal reasons, according to the minutes of the Linn-Mar school board meeting from Feb. 20.

Casebolt was embroiled in a controversy last year and did not coach the Lions during the 2016 campaign, although he was still employed as a member of the football coaching staff and was paid for the season.

Linn-Mar families accused Casebolt of improper conduct in recent years, including verbal and physical abuse. The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners looked into the complaints last year, but did not file charges.

The Linn-Mar school district conducted two probes of the football program. All charges were dismissed following the first investigation, but the second investigation may have contributed to head coach Bob Forsyth retiring after the 2016 season and now to Casebolt resigning.

Former Cedar Rapids Washington coach Paul James has succeeded Forsyth as Linn-Mar's new head coach.